Police in the southern province of Krabi have charged two speedboat captains after methamphetamine pills, aka. yaba, were found on their vessels.
The men were in charge of boats taking tourists to Koh Phi Phi and Haad Nopparat Thara Beach in Krabi, touring around Phang Nga Bay and its islands.
According to the Central Investigation Bureau, the first arrest took place just off Phi Phi Island Pier when officers noticed the boat preparing to welcome tourists.
The authorities asked to check the necessary permits, at which point the crew seemed to become flustered. Officers then asked to check the boat and discovered 5 yaba pills hidden on board.
The captain, identified only as Mr Sombat, admitted the drugs were his. He has been taken to Phi Phi Police Station to be charged with possession of a Category 1 narcotic.
Meanwhile, at Krabi’s Nopparat Thara Beach Pier, a second man was arrested after officers received a tip-off that a person in charge of a boat was using yaba. Police boarded the boat in question and conducted a search, which uncovered 4 yaba pills.
The captain, a “Mr Charin”, admitted they were his. He has been taken to Ao Nang Police Station to be charged with possession of a Category 1 narcotic.
Late last year, a 5 year old Russian girl died when the speedboat she was on crashed into rocks near Koh Maiton, off the coast of Phuket. The collision also left six foreign tourists and a crew member injured. The captain later tested positive for methamphetamine use.
SOURCE: The Phuket News
